1. Field
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a multimedia processing control apparatus and a multimedia processing control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of image processing technique for example, a multimedia processing control apparatus has been used in which a plurality of functional blocks are used to realize a desired function. For example, in the OpenMAX standard, each of a plurality of functional blocks realizing recording or playing a moving image is defined as a component. Each of the plurality of components has a port for data communication, and setting of data communication port connections between the components is performed to enable data transfer between the components via the ports.
According to the OpenMAX standard, a client module (hereinafter referred to simply as “client”) calls up a specified interface and controls each component. Control of each component includes, for example, generation of a plurality of components for playing a moving image, the above-described port connection setting and issue of requests for data processing to the generated components. A multimedia processing control apparatus can perform processing such as playing a moving image by using a plurality of components as described above. Conventionally, in such a case, a client as a component control section that generates and controls components and the components exist on one chip.
In a case where components and a specified interface are mounted in one chip and a client is to control the components from the outside of the chip, the client cannot refer to information on the components through the specified interface. That is, in a case where a client is in a chip different from a chip containing components, the client cannot control the components.
This is because the address space in which the client exists is different from the address space in which the components and the specified interface exist. Therefore, in a remote system in which a client exists in an address space different from an address space in which components and a specified interface exist, the client cannot generate and control the components.
Also, for example, a system in which a client and components are connected to each other through a communication network has been proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-338841). In this proposed system, however, a client designates a node by using an IP address of a component host at which components exist, and the client cannot generate and control components.